Takahashi/Kihara split

evangeline · Mar 30, 2015

Thanks to NMURA for posting a link to the article: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150331-00000096-spnannex-spo

I can't read Japanese, but this is what Google translate says, with the relevant part bolded:

World Country tournament of figure skating (April 16 opening, Tokyo Yoyogi National Stadium) of Japan representative is the 31st, published in Tokyo, Yuzuru Hanyu (20 = ANA) of Sochi Olympic gold medalist Ragana the I had been chosen.

Hub surgery the abdomen at the end of last year, and sprained right ankle after practice resumed. In the World Championships, which was held in Shanghai, China and is aimed at Japan's first consecutive, was finished in silver medal. Order condition is not foolproof, the day before (30 days) and "it to work hard if Dell, I want to strive to recovery firmly to if not out next season" in the event of return of had been talking to.

Hub declined the '12 tournament in the right ankle sprain, '13 tournament is out from the representative in the left knee pain, this year is debutants. This season it was a continuation accident, and concludes with the best performance.

Boys Takahito Mura (24 = HIROTA), women's Kanako Murakami (20 = Chukyo Univ), Satoko Miyahara (17 = Kandai height) was elected representative. Takahashi came to Sochi Olympics in pairs Narumi, Kihara Ryuichi set (Kinoshita h) is eliminating the partner, has also been announced that you do not participate in the country tournament.

The tournament other Japan, participation Russia, the United States, Canada, France, China. Team competition was first carried out in the last year of the Sochi Olympics.

After Takahashi/Kihara's string of disastrous results (including a last-place finish at Worlds), this is not so surprising, but it's hard believe that Narumi Takahashi was a Worlds bronze medalist only three years ago.....

ks777 · Mar 31, 2015

Not surprised.

cruzceleste · Mar 31, 2015

I´m. Japan has not strong history in pairs, I thought that will give the parnertship another year.

Hope they both get another chance with new partners.

MaxSwagg · Mar 31, 2015

I'm still not over Takahashi/Tran.

evangeline · Mar 31, 2015

MAXSwagg said:
I'm still not over Takahashi/Tran.

Me neither.

Takahashi/Kihara had all of Takahashi/Tran's error-prone ways (and then some...) but none of their beauty

ks777 · Mar 31, 2015

I don't think I ever saw Takahashi landing jumps with Kihara. Kihara was landing his jumps but Takahashi on the other hand, was always falling on the jumps when I saw them.

sarama · Mar 31, 2015

I think it's for the best. But I really hope Narumi finds a new partner. She is just too good. Maybe she will follow Kavaguti's example and have a long and successful career.

Sophie-Anna · Mar 31, 2015

MAXSwagg said:
I'm still not over Takahashi/Tran.

Me neither. I am used to see Ilinykh with Zhiganshin just after one season, but not Takahashi/Tran.

Sophie-Anna · Mar 31, 2015

ks777 said:
I don't think I ever saw Takahashi landing jumps with Kihara. Kihara was landing his jumps but Takahashi on the other hand, was always falling on the jumps when I saw them.

Main problems was not her jumps. But pair elements with Kihara were incomparable from pair elements with Tran.

lady_bee · Mar 31, 2015

Sophie-Anna said:
Main problems was not her jumps. But pair elements with Kihara were incomparable from pair elements with Tran.

According to their blog, it is Kihara who wanted break up. So sad, because I can see he was working very hard last two years

tulosai · Mar 31, 2015

Honestly, thank God. Watching them was painful. As someone said above they were just NOT compatable on the pairs elements at all. That she can no longer land a SBS jump to save her life doesn't help.

Honestly I think both their careers are essentially over even if they manage to find new partners. Japan has no one better to offer her and it is clearly very super important to her that her partner be Japanese. Honestly if she goes and finds a non Japanese partner now, good tor her but what a slap in the face. Plus there is the real question of whether she will ever land or even rotate a SBS jump again. He is simply not a good pairs skater.

NMURA · Mar 31, 2015

Obviously Narumi's horrible jumps are what held back this pair. I hope Kihara continues with a new partner. Anyone who can skate at junior national level is better than Narumi.

Li'Kitsu · Mar 31, 2015

NMURA said:
Obviously Narumi's horrible jumps are what held back this pair. I hope Kihara continues with a new partner. Anyone who can skate at junior national level is better than Narumi.

No, it weren't only Narumis 'horrible' jumps that held them back. Why didn't her jumps hold Takahashi/Tran back then? With Takahashi/Kihara, everything held them back - they didn't fit together at all, even their basic skating just around the rink never looked like they could work together well. Their pairs elements never worked, and that is also not just her fault. IMO, she's at least a better skater than he is, even if she is a worse jumper. The main point is: instead of one of them being at fault, they just never worked as a team.
I'm not sure either will have any shot from now on. Both would need to find a partner that really suits them, and they have little chance for that in Japan.

Sidenote: 'Anyone who can skate at junior level is better than Narumi' - at what? Single skaters at jumping? Yes, guess what, every junior single ladies skater can jump better than Narumi - that is kind of like the point of singles vs. pairs.

tulosai · Mar 31, 2015

NMURA said:
Obviously Narumi's horrible jumps are what held back this pair. I hope Kihara continues with a new partner. Anyone who can skate at junior national level is better than Narumi.

Yeah I just don't agree with this. Bazarovas jumps are almost as bad and she was in the top 6 or 7 at worlds/ Olys several times and has MANY international medals ( literally dozens)... not last at every single competition she ever entered. Why? She is great in lifts and death spirals, and quite good in throws, twists, spins. With this pair literally NONE OF THAT was working and that is not just Narumi's fault. It is his too, and IMO his moreso in several pairs elements but especially twists and lifts.

They just flatly were and are not comparable and never were, but she wanted to go to the Olympics and he was pretty much literally her only Japanese option, end of story.

Violet Bliss · Mar 31, 2015

Narumi's jumps was the weakness in Takahashi/Tran pairing but just about every element is weak in Takahashi/Kihara pairing. Japan does not have any strong male Pairs skater to offer its female Pairs skaters who found their partners from other countries. Since Japan needs at least one Pair for the Team Event, they need and retain Takahashi with any Japanese partner, even if it makes a weak team. Poor Narumi. It's like giving up your true love for a marriage of convenience and other considerations. I seriously doubt she will have any decent Pairs career now that her partner choice is limited to the male Japanese skaters who can't make it as singles.

demarinis5 · Mar 31, 2015

Well I saw this coming. As others have said above this pair just never jelled and there really is no blame,
these things happen. I do believe that Narumi has talent and could continue but I don't see her
finding a good pair partner in Japan.

NMURA · Mar 31, 2015

There's no point of a comparison with Bazarova. I believe any girl (small enough) who can compete at junior nationals will make a better pair team with Kihara. It's very hard for any man to handle a partner who is technically a drag but very proud like Narumi. If press reports are true, Kihara is the one who made the decision to split and he has the intention to continue pairs skating. There won't be any problem to find a partner better than Narumi. I hope his two year's experiences won't be wasted. Narumi ... she can go abroad or just quit. I don't care.

cruzceleste · Mar 31, 2015

NMURA said:
There's no point of a comparison with Bazarova. I believe any girl (small enough) who can compete at junior nationals will make a better pair team with Kihara. It's very hard for any man to handle a partner who is technically a drag but very proud like Narumi. If press reports are true, Kihara is the one who made the decision to split and he has the intention to continue pairs skating. There won't be any problem to find a partner better than Narumi. I hope his two year's experiences won't be wasted. Narumi ... she can go abroad or just quit. I don't care.

Wow, that harsh.

Violet Bliss · Mar 31, 2015

NMURA said:
There's no point of a comparison with Bazarova. I believe any girl (small enough) who can compete at junior nationals will make a better pair team with Kihara. It's very hard for any man to handle a partner who is technically a drag but very proud like Narumi. If press reports are true, Kihara is the one who made the decision to split and he has the intention to continue pairs skating. There won't be any problem to find a partner better than Narumi. I hope his two year's experiences won't be wasted. Narumi ... she can go abroad or just quit. I don't care.

WOW.

Good thing it doesn't matter if you care or not.

Li'Kitsu · Mar 31, 2015

NMURA said:
There's no point of a comparison with Bazarova. I believe any girl (small enough) who can compete at junior nationals will make a better pair team with Kihara. It's very hard for any man to handle a partner who is technically a drag but very proud like Narumi. If press reports are true, Kihara is the one who made the decision to split and he has the intention to continue pairs skating. There won't be any problem to find a partner better than Narumi. I hope his two year's experiences won't be wasted. Narumi ... she can go abroad or just quit. I don't care.

Oh, I guess that is why Kihara is the world vronze medali... wait.

She's a bad jumper, but there is more to skating than that. And the girls skating in singles right now might have no problems with the solo jumps, but who knows with the other pairs elements. It's not always about someone "being a drag", sometimes things just don't work out even if everyone is trying their hardest, simply because things don't fit together.

Takahashi/Kihara split

evangeline

ks777

cruzceleste

MaxSwagg

Match Penalty

evangeline

ks777

sarama

Sophie-Anna

Sophie-Anna

lady_bee

tulosai

NMURA

Li'Kitsu

tulosai

Violet Bliss

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

NMURA

cruzceleste

Violet Bliss

Li'Kitsu

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